Search found 397 matches

by Mattie
6 Feb 2012, 8:01pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: UK to Australia European leg advice please
Replies: 12
Views: 1037

Re: UK to Australia European leg advice please

I passed that way last summer, down the Croatian coast to Dubrovnik, then ferried it to Bari-Patras and then on to Athens.

Quite a climb out of Trieste and then dow to the coast at Rijeka. The only hassle was just a bit the monotony of it. Joining the coast road at Rijeka you know you will be on that same road for the best part of a week, chipping away at it 50 miles a day.

The traffic was OK, the road was well surfaced so you can keep yourself in a straight line, no need for pothole swerving. No issues with traffic the whole way even into Split, no problems. There are a few campsites along there and a developed tourist industry so no trouble keeping yourself fed and watered.

Split was a lovely stop, and so was Dubrovnik. But my overriding impression was that it was hard work and of being on the same road for a week !
by Mattie
3 Feb 2012, 11:35pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Hiking boots for cycling in.
Replies: 23
Views: 7986

Re: Hiking boots for cycling in.

in4time wrote:I was looking for a pair of summer boots that I could also cycle in. I was quite taken with a pair by Merrell http://www.amazon.co.uk/Merrell-Mens-Mo ... B000YPSKPS but the sizing on them is nonsensical.
I realise that there are a number of compromises to be made in terms of footprint, rigidity, ankle support etc. and wondered whether anyone else had a found an acceptable lightweight boot that is good for hiking and touring. Any takers ?


I have got the shoe version of that, and the soles are quite flexy - more flexy than the Merrell Continuum that I had before. Of the two I still prefer the Merrell Continuum in tan !

Shimano boots looked good (love their sandals ! )
by Mattie
2 Feb 2012, 7:38am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Swiss Cycle routes and the Rhine
Replies: 6
Views: 779

Re: Swiss Cycle routes and the Rhine

I cycled through Switzerland last year, using mostly Route 2 along the Rhine from Schaffhausen to Chur and then over the Julierpass.

I found the route to be really well signposted and, after a while, hardly bothered with normal road signs at all.

Picked up this widely available map at a campsite along the route and used it as the main map. Very well detailed with terrain and climbs, designed for cyclists - Great !

[url]Image[/url]
by Mattie
31 Jan 2012, 6:16pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: RIP my Schwalbe XR - 22,000km old
Replies: 6
Views: 1004

Re: RIP my Schwalbe XR - 22,000km old

You might run out of planet before you run out of tyres !

I think that gives you top trumps on any forum discussions about tyres !! :mrgreen:

Very well done.
by Mattie
30 Jan 2012, 10:59pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: GPS?
Replies: 29
Views: 2268

Re: GPS?

I am still curious about the whole COST of the iPhone / Android mapping solution.

Can anyone tell me from experience, not theoretical, but from actual experience how much it cost to use a smartphone as a mapping device on a two week tour in France or other mainland Europe cycling tour.

How much to use the device for mapping whenever and wherever you wanted, to check mileage to and location of next campsite. Regular where am I now checks, becoming more frequent in towns and cities. And to track your actual route from day one to end of the trip.

How much does that actually cost in real life ? Can someone tell me what their actual phone bill was after using a smartphone for their tour using it as described ?
by Mattie
26 Jan 2012, 8:25am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Roads in Greece
Replies: 13
Views: 794

Re: Roads in Greece

Just thought of something else that may be useful to you:

My bike was boxed up by TSIRIKOS BIKES in Athens, they charged me Euro 10 including the box ! which was a an old Kona cardboard box. They did a great job of it and saved me having to do it in the street or hotel room ! and for only Euro 10.

They are a big store, maybe one of the largest in Athens, sorry only have the GPS but that can be put into Google or iPhone or whatever to find the address if needed:
38 00.207 N, 23 46.497 E (Degrees, decimal minutes)

Saved a lot of hassle packing up the bike and I stopped to pick it up in the taxi, as they are on the main road that leads out of town heading for the airport.

Recommend them.

(September 2011)
by Mattie
24 Jan 2012, 7:01pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: food and nutrition on long tours
Replies: 11
Views: 988

Re: food and nutrition on long tours

I have found that the easiest calorie monsters are things like Digestive Biscuits and Shortbread Biscuits - they are something like 70-100 calories each !

On the plus side they are easy to carry, do not spoil, taste great, and are easy to chew - even easier with the help of some water or milk. I have never got on with nuts as they seem to require the jaw muscles of a bison to be able to eat large amounts of them - after a couple of handfuls of cashews or other nuts and I can't chew any more.

Obviously you need other proper food as well !! :mrgreen:
by Mattie
24 Jan 2012, 8:26am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Roads in Greece
Replies: 13
Views: 794

Re: Roads in Greece

I have only cycled across the northern Peloponnese, from Patras to Athens, and then some cycling around in Athens.

Some of the road surfaces along that route were very poor - poor repairs on top of poor repairs and then neglected altogether it seemed. But on the whole it was ok, just some terrible sections.

The traffic was well behaved - I sat and watched a junction while I had a drink and everyone obeyed the lights and used their indicators - like normal. No hassle even into and around Athens.

Lots of petrol stations along that route, and little towns, so no trouble with food or drink. I bought a Greek map at the first petrol station that I came to, which served very well, but I also used the GPS with Garmin City Navigator Europe NT 2011 on it. I also used it a lot round Athens and would take me to the door of the hotel no matter what.

The people were very good to me, food excellent. My only trouble there was the heat; regularly mid thirties and strong sun even in early September.
by Mattie
20 Jan 2012, 8:16am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: St Malo to GIB, how hilly in Spain?
Replies: 20
Views: 1609

Re: St Malo to GIB, how hilly in Spain?

This is a lovely website of a French recumbent cyclist's trip from Toulouse to Gib, also in May, called Mira la Bici. There is a great write up and lovely photos: http://www.miralabici.net/fr/accueil_en.php?t_dernier_acces=1327046765

I hang my head in shame as I tried the St Malo - Gib route myself, in August 2009 and called it quits in Madrid, sunburnt and exhausted and went back to France ! My first cycle tour !

Good luck
by Mattie
14 Jan 2012, 8:55am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Touring - energy source
Replies: 8
Views: 605

Re: Touring - energy source

And a packet of soft REGALAD' sweets always handy. If you are wearing a cycling jersey then you can put a handful in the back pocket. You can pull one out and easily unwrap it with your teeth. Lovely. :D
by Mattie
11 Jan 2012, 7:53am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Navigation Aids for an expedition
Replies: 10
Views: 846

Re: Navigation Aids for an expedition

Nice wrote:Thanks folks - I won't be using the Legend (screen far too small) but looking to purchase something infinitely better so thanks for the good ideas to investigate.

The trip is around 5,500 miles and I'm doing it on a quad not a bike - so a tad easier!

Thanks again.


With a (motorised) quad you will have many more options as it has an electrical supply for you to connect gadgets too; Garmin and Tom Tom make (expensive) motorcycle sat navs which are waterproof - a handy feature in this kingdom of rains.

Just been watching the Dakar on the TV and their quad bike have some impressive navigation equipment on them ! Might not want to park it in the street though !

Good luck on your trip and post a picture of your quad, it would be interesting to see.
by Mattie
8 Jan 2012, 9:56am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: france top to bottom
Replies: 11
Views: 1096

Re: france top to bottom

nmnm wrote:

I didn't plan ahead. When I go again I'll have a route figured out and a list of campsites every 20k, so I can cycle til dark and not bother with spending the last 2 hours of light playing campsite poker. You can get big books of campsites but they're v heavy, and not on kindle as far as I can see.

:D


With a GPS you can do this:


Screenshot of GPS track
Screenshot of GPS track


The screenshot file size shown here is quite small but what it shows is that you can plot your chosen course in advance and highlight all the campsites as waypoints along your chosen route (shown as green triangles here). Everyday you can choose which campsite you are going to head for and in many instances you will have a choice of places but other times only one Municipal site. It has worked a treat for me and shown here is part of my route from St Malo to Athens with as many campsites as I could find plotted along the route ahead of me. :D

I did used to carry that Michelin campsite guide, in the car, but what a hefty book that was !
by Mattie
3 Jan 2012, 11:17pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Anyone using a GoPro
Replies: 10
Views: 1109

Re: Anyone using a GoPro

Justin wrote:......Also, how does the video image quality stack up when viewed on an LCD telivision and against something like a Canon 7D, 5D Mk II, Panasonic GH2, etc, etc

Any input on the above from other GoPro users would be much appreciated and a big help, thank you.


I bought the cheaper Delkin Wingman HD which is very similar to the GoPro, but only £166 paid. The Delkin is 1080 HD but not really as good as the Canon D600. But what I really dislike about DSLR video is no auto focus in video mode - a real PITA !

Also had a Panasonic G2 which had very good video function, silent auto focus, and you can zoom and look through the viewfinder whilst shooting video, and it had a swivel screen. The little Delkin HD can be played onto a flatscreen TV through a HDMI socket. Have a look at some of the samples on You Tube - I bought the Delkin because I did not really want to spend £299 on a little camera for attaching to the bike. I suppose it depends on how seriously you take your filming :)
by Mattie
3 Jan 2012, 1:29pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: GPS Units in Europe
Replies: 20
Views: 1763

Re: GPS Units in Europe

Graham O wrote: As a point of interest, would you use a GPS to navigate out of town on a precise course, i.e. turn left, turn right etc, or would you just set a point on the outskirts and aim for that and accept any mistakes on the way? Personally, I wouldn't want that level of detail around town, or is that because I use maps and a GPS alters your way of doing things?


On my last few trips I have used a Garmin Vista HCx with Garmin Europe NT 2011 software. The software is loaded on to your computer and then you choose which maps to download to your device - all of France - all of Spain - all of Portugal just in case. With this you get detailed maps on your unit, plus hotels and campsites coordinates etc. You do not have to take the computer with you for small trips as the device will load tons of stuff as it is.

So to get out of town you choose the start/junction of the road that you want to get on and put the arrow on it and "Go to" and the unit will direct you to that spot so you can find the road you want to get on; Very useful when trying to find the way out of a big town using the smaller roads, which as a cyclist are probably the ones you want to be on. As a plus it uses easily available AA batteries and you can leave the device switched on all day.

I am surprised that nobody has suggested an iPhone or similar smartphone option. :?
by Mattie
28 Dec 2011, 1:21pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Bikepacking UK tour for summer 2012 - ideas needed
Replies: 14
Views: 1505

Re: Bikepacking UK tour for summer 2012 - ideas needed

takeonafrica wrote:
Which is crazy because I'm in Mexico right now and have sun and the sea of cortez here!


Wow, is that where the Humboldt squid comes from ? saw a NatGeo docu about it; sure it was Sea of Cortez.

Watch your pinkies in the water if it is ! :mrgreen:

Good luck on your trip.